Alabama Immigration Law Spurs Wider Fight

By

Timothy W. Martin

August 3, 2011

The Obama administration's challenge to Alabama's new law to combat illegal immigration is likely to lead to years of courtroom wrangling and help define the roles of federal and state governments in dealing with illegal immigrants.

Like the Arizona law that partly inspired it, the Alabama law, set to take effect Sept. 1, requires police to ask the immigration status of anyone they stop who they have a "reasonable...